July 18, 2022
Community Shares:
- A new study associated with Harvard Medical School has discovered that fentanyl causes autistic-like behaviors in young male and female mice by activating the mu-opioid receptor in the anterior cingulate cortex area of the brain. Additionally, these fentanyl-induced autistic-like behaviors appear to be partially driven by the reduction of Grin2b expression in the mice’s anterior cingulate cortex induced by hypermethylation. This study does not link fentanyl and autism in humans. The study’s co-senior author states, “There is no current evidence that fentanyl is associated with a similar effect in humans and the outcome of the animal study is not an indication to avoid fentanyl in clinical anesthesia. However, the outcome will promote further research, including clinical investigations, to determine the potential neurobehavioral influence of opioids on brain development.”
- The U.S. Department of Transportation issued a 16-page document outlining the fundamental rights of air travelers with disabilities under the Air Carrier Access Act. The document details ten different rights that airline passengers with disabilities are entitled to receive. Among others, these include the right to be treated with dignity and respect, the right to accessible airport facilities, the right to receive assistance at airports and on aircraft, the right to travel with an assistive device or service animal, and the right to receive seating accommodations.
- The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences recently announced that pregnant women exposed to multiple phthalates during pregnancy had an increased risk of preterm birth. This finding came from a new study that analyzed urine from more than 6,000 pregnant women in the United States. The researchers discovered that expectant mothers with higher concentrations of several phthalate metabolites in their urine were more likely to deliver their babies preterm (three weeks or more before the mother’s due date.)
- French researchers have discovered that a bromide ion treatment improved interactions, limited repetitive behaviors, and reduced anxiety in mice with autism-like neurodevelopmental issues. This research is at the pre-clinical stage and has not been tested on humans. When and if the experimental drug gets to the clinical setting, the research team says that the bromide ion treatment could be delivered via oral drops, which are easier for children to take.
